'09 Hockey Hall of Fame class could be finest yet

TORONTO - As respectful members of the British Commonwealth, the folks who ran Maple Leaf Gardens years ago hung a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II from the rafters. It came down in the late 1960s when Harold Ballard, part-owner of the NHL's Maple Leafs and their arena, wanted to add more seats. "She doesn't pay me; I pay her," he said. "Besides, what the hell position can a queen play?"

Ballard was simply saying what so many Canadians feel: Hockey players are the true royals in this country. Their loyal subjects gathered in Toronto last weekend for their annual coronation, when the game's princes are crowned members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The ceremonies wrapped up Monday night with the installation of perhaps the finest class in the Hall's history: players Brett Hull, Brian Leetch, Luc Robitaille and Steve Yzerman, along with New Jersey Devils executive Lou Lamoriello.

The men received their rings Monday morning under the stained-glass dome of the Great Hall, where the NHL's trophies reside in the vaults of a former bank. Just as the queen's portrait used to look upon fans at Maple Leaf Gardens, the regal ranks of the Hall of Fame -- their faces and accomplishments painted on individual glass panels -- oversaw the welcome of their newest members, who were still trying to grasp the moment.

"It is such an overwhelming feeling," said Leetch, an American who won Canadian hearts -- and occasionally broke them -- in 18 seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto and Boston. "It's difficult for me to think of myself as a member of the Hall of Fame.

"Guys like Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito and Guy Lafleur, that's the Hall of Fame. When I picture all the players who belong here, I feel like I should be in a visitors' wing."

It came as an unexpected, sweet pleasure to see such wonder on the faces of players who spent years inspiring awe in others. Their new uniforms -- Hall of Fame blazers and neatly knotted ties -- could take a bit of getting used to, because we came to know them so well in their work clothes.

Legions of fans wore replicas of those jerseys as they descended upon Toronto for the weekend. Just as Americans make pilgrimages to Cooperstown in August, Canadians immerse themselves in the ceremonial trappings of their national sport. This year, they honored a group that defined the game for their generation, four players who amassed record numbers while leaving unique tracings on the ice.

Hull, the former Minnesota Duluth star, charmed with his wit as he lived up to the legend of his father, Bobby Hull. Robitaille combined a gentleman's demeanor with a competitor's fire. Yzerman's leadership and unflagging dedication revitalized the Red Wings, and Leetch's steady professionalism set standards for defensemen and for American-born players.

Fans who followed their remarkable careers knew they were watching future Hall of Famers. But in this sport, wrapped so tightly in history and legend, many great players cannot imagine themselves in the company of their idols. Monday, the new inductees kept touching and looking at their rings, which had been delivered by a white-gloved attendant.

"I'm still not comfortable with it," said Yzerman, who played with Hull and Robitaille on the 2002 Red Wings team that won the Stanley Cup. "Players don't sit around and discuss, 'We're going into the Hall of Fame.' We're just a group of players."

Well, not really. This group stood before a national television audience on a balmy evening to sum up their life's work in a 4-minute speech, officially moving them into company even the Queen would envy.

But on the night they were lauded as princes, they felt only their common roots as citizens of Hockey Nation.

"I accept this honor for all those playing pickup, beer league and senior hockey, who never got the opportunity that I did," Hull said. "For every mom up at 5 who drives to practice, and every dad working overtime to buy equipment and a pair of tickets to take his kids to an NHL game. Every teammate that sacrificed, every trainer that patched me up and every stick boy who brought me a cold one after the game.

"We're supposed to be here celebrating what I did in this game. But I want to talk about what this game gave to me. That's everything, and more than I could ever dream of."

Rachel Blount • rblount@startribune.com